


I'd stay for a long time 'cause, I like me better when

by Dylanobrienisbatman



Series: Becho [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Bellamy as Lara Jean, Bonding, Clarke as Josh, Communication, Echo as Peter Kavinsky, F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Falling In Love, Family Feels, First Kiss, Fluff and Angst, Forehead Kisses, Forehead Touching, Lexa as Margot, Long, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Luna as Lucas, M/M, Murphy as Chris, Mutual Pining, Octavia as Kitty, Roan as Gen, Scrunchies, bellamy is bi, lite bellarke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 08:02:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15859551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dylanobrienisbatman/pseuds/Dylanobrienisbatman
Summary: Bellamy writes love letters to big, overwhelming crushes to help himself get over them. He never meant for them to get out.He certainly never meant for his sister ex girlfriend to get one. So when Echo, another recipient of one of his letters offers him a solution to his current predicament, that also helps her out, he agrees.But what is he supposed to do when his fake girlfriend starts feeling... decidedly not so fake?(Becho fic based on To All The Boys I've Loved Before)





	I'd stay for a long time 'cause, I like me better when

Bellamy heard the front door open, and Clarke’s voice echo through the entryway. Clarke Griffin had been his first friend in 4th grade when he moved into Thelonious Jaha’s house, after he had decided to foster him and his sister. Jaha had had a son, Wells, who had died of cancer when he was only around 6 or 7, and after a couple of years he had decided to open his home to kids who needed a safe place, in honour of his son. Thats where Bellamy, Octavia, and Lexa came in.

Clarke had been Wells’ best friend and was still Jaha’s neighbour, and was quick to make friends with all of the new kids who moved in next door. She showed him all of the best places to ride bikes, helped him make friends at school, and always brought him leftover cookies her dad baked. Over the years, they had become inseparable, absolute best friends.

Eventually, she started dating Lexa, and it felt right, that she would be with someone in their family. Their whole family loved her. Thelonious had always thought of her as a daughter, and Octavia loved her and looked up to her, and so it just was. Him and Octavia expanded to include Jaha, and then to include Lexa, and then to include Clarke.

Lexa and Clarke had been together for about a year, and it just worked. They were nice together, Clarke tempered Lexa’s intensity, and Lexa brought out a competitive side in Clarke that made her better.

And so thats how it was.

He popped his head out of his room as she walked by towards Lexa’s room, and she stopped for a minute.

“Still reading that stupid summer reading list?”

“It’s not stupid! Mr. Pike obviously assigned it for a reason.”

“Yeah, to find out who was a kiss ass and who wasn’t.”

“Well then he did a good job, because I am most certainly a kiss ass.”

“Oh, we all know it, Blake.”

“Go find my sister, Griffin.” He said, opening the book back up. She stuck her tongue out at him, and walked down the hall to Lexa’s room.

It had only been about half an hour, when he heard the yelling.

Clarke and Lexa didn’t fight much, but when they did it would get explosive, so he reached for his headphones. Before he could get them on, though, he heard a snippet.

“What, so you think I can’t handle long distance or something?”

“I didn’t say you couldn’t handle it, Clarke, I just said I don’t think we should do it.”

“What the hell for?!”

He paused, holding his headphones close to his ears but selfishly listening in. He didn’t really mean too, but he couldn’t help himself.

“I don’t want to be tied down. This is my first chance to do something just for me. I want to see what happens when i get there.”

“Oh, so I’m enough for you when you’re here but when there might be other options I’m not?”

“Thats not what I said either! I just…”

“Just what Lexa?”

He finally caved and shoved his earbuds into his ears, and turned his music up as loud as he could stand. It wasn’t his business, whatever it was. If Lexa wanted him to know, she’d tell him, and if she didn’t he had no business knowing it. About 20 minutes later Clarke ran past his door and down the stairs, and not much longer after that, Lexa stood sheepishly in his doorway.

She wasn’t usually one to talk about her feelings, but when she needed it, he was always there. He popped his earbuds out and scooted over in his window seat to make space for her. She plopped down across from him, folding her knees to her chest and resting her chin atop them.

“I broke up with Clarke.”

“I heard, just a little. Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” She sat in silence for a minute, before she spoke again. “I’ve always really liked consistency, structure… family.” She said the last word softly, in the way they both said it. Like it was a fleeting thing. He reached out and squeezed her ankle gently. “But this exchange thing, its a chance for me to branch out. And you know… you know how I am. If I have her here, I’ll feel this obligation to change and do what she needs, even if its not what I want.”

“I know.”

“She didn’t really understand.”

“Well, she loves you. And she’s… not like us.” That hung in the air. The understanding that family and loved ones were not this permanent, guaranteed thing the way it was for Clarke.

“I love her too.”

“I know that too.”

“What do you think?” She looked at him expectantly. If it had been Octavia, he knew she’d want him to confirm her choice, even if he wasn’t sure it was right. But Lexa liked honesty, liked frankness.

“I think… I think that you’re right. That is how you are, and that is what you’d do. And I think you should do what feels right to you. But don’t cut people out of your life because you’re worried about what might happen. Clarke’s not like… a forever guarantee, but she’s a right now guarantee. If you feel like you need her, stay with her. But if you feel like it’s better to try it this way, do that.”

“So… do what I think is right? Thanks Bell.” She rolled her eyes at his decidedly unspecific advice.

“I just mean… you know yourself best. Do what feels right to you, because you know better than anyone else what you need. You know yourself, Lex. Better than most people do.” She nodded, and reached over, grabbing a book off his shelf, and stretching her legs out over his, settling in to read.

The next day, Lexa left without much fanfare. He and Octavia hugged her goodbye at the house, and Thelonious drove her to the airport, because she didn’t like goodbyes, especially mushy ones, and that was that. The house wasn’t quieter, because Lexa was the quietest of them all, but the following days felt weird. He had never had anyone very consistent in his life other than Octavia, but Lexa had been living with Thelonious before he and Octavia had come around, and it had been almost 8 years, and it felt strange to not have her. He didn’t come downstairs to find her meditating in the living room every morning, he didn’t get woken up by Anya driving up on Saturday morning to pick her up for their sunrise tai chi class, he didn’t hear her weirdly loud rap music play through her walls to let him know she was doing homework, it was noticeable that she was gone. Her presence was part of his life, and suddenly it just… wasn’t.

The most noticeable thing of all, though, was that Clarke was around a lot less.

Bellamy had always been a bit of a romantic, he’d admit it freely. He loved the idea of romance, but he had never really been any good at it. He grew up on romantic stories of all types, from greek myths to sweet rom-coms to devastating love stories, he sucked them all in like oxygen. In a childhood full of… not a lot of magic, stories of love and romance helped him escape, and helped him imagine a future where he’d find someone to love, and build a better life with them than the one he had had.

So what if that hopeless romanticism bled into his real life a little? Who could it hurt?

So what if he wrote love letters, to his deepest, strongest, most passionate crushes? He liked remembering that he had the ability to feel that much, and to feel that purely. He liked remembering that there was still some part of him that was entirely, purely good.

He had written five love letters in his life, and he kept them in a heavy, dark wooden box under his bed. They were secret, no one knew about them but him, not even Octavia (mostly because she’d probably tease him until they were in a nursing home about them). He never read them, he sealed them up with a pretty wax stamp his mom had given him as a kid, sealing up his feelings and stashing them away, but he remembered every word of each of them, as if they had been burned into his brain.

It just so happened that the last letter he had written was to Clarke.

Now, he wasn’t trying to steal Clarke from Lexa. He wasn’t some kind of monster. He was stoked that Lexa had found a girl and he was glad it was someone as good as Clarke.

But he’d been in love with Clarke for long time, way before shegot together with Lexa, even if it took him a bit to long to figure it out.

So he wrote them in a letter. He wrote about how much he loved her, how beautiful she was, and how he was pretty sure he’d never love anyone as much as her for the rest of his life. And then he had sealed it, and stuck it in the box with the other four letters.

The other four letters were all crushes he’d had before Clarke.

The first letter had been to the first boy he’d ever had a crush on, John Mbege. John was a friend in elementary school, 5th grade specifically. He was tall, like Bellamy, and always had his hair short, and he loved to wear red sneakers. They had spent a whole summer between 5th and 6th grade sleeping over at each others houses and riding their bikes everywhere, and one day, the weekend before school started, they were out at the lake, and John had bravely kissed Bellamy right on the lips. It had been quick, and it hadn’t been either of their first kisses, but it had been both of their first kisses with a boy. They never spoke about it again, and John moved away to Georgia at the end of 6th grade, but Bellamy had gone to bed every night for the whole first month of 6th grade thinking about that kiss.

The second letter was to Luna Maji. Luna was a girl from school, who had been his date to spring formal in the seventh grade, and he’d written her a letter the night of the dance after he got home, still a little woozy from the smell of her moms perfume that she’d been allowed to borrow. She had big curly hair, and always ate lunch with him. She had been one of the first girls he’d ever really been good friends with, and she always gave him her strawberries at lunch, because she knew he liked them.

The third letter was to Echo Sarmento, and he had written it after Roma William’s birthday party the summer after 7th grade. It had been the first party any of them had ever been to with no parents around, and Roma put on some slow song he didn’t remember the name of, and he had asked Echo to dance. She said yes, and so they slow danced, right there in Roma’s basement, surrounded by their friends, all slow dancing too. She had long brown hair and a pretty navy blue top on, and at the end of the song she had leaned up and kissed him, just a soft kiss that lasted about a half a second. They didn’t talk much after that, and she started dating Roan Winters a couple years later, and that had been that, but he still had the love letter.

The fourth was to Gina Martin, a nice girl he had met at model UN tournament freshman year. They had all been staying in a hotel, and he had snuck out to go to the pool with some friends, and she had been there too, with some of her friends. She had on a bright red one piece bathing suit with white stripes down the sides and her short curly hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and they played marco polo and she won every time, always managing to find him and hold his hand for a second when she did. They sat on two pool chairs together while their friends splashed around and talked about Harry Potter books and all sorts of stuff, and she was the first girl he ever made out with, right there at the pool after all their friends left, in their dry bathing suits, still smelling like chlorine.

Those were his love letters, his secret feelings, tucked away in a box to be forever his own. Who knew how many letters he’d eventually have in there, or what he’d do with them when he got older. But for now, he liked knowing that his biggest, nicest, softest feelings were always right there, to remind him that it was possible.

————

He caught the bus with Octavia after Jaha made them breakfast, and got to school early like they always did when they rode the bus. He was putting his books in his locker, organising it, when he heard a crash, and turned to see Roan Winters standing over Octavia on the ground, her books sprawled around her. He ran over immediately to help her up, grabbing her books off the ground for her. She looked embarrassed.

“Maybe you should pay attention to whats going on around you?” He sneered, even though it was clear he had ran into her. Lucky (or maybe unlucky) for Bellamy, Octavia was never one to take anything lying down.

“You ran into me, asshole.” She snarled back, teeth half bared. Roan seemed to grow some, raising to his full height.

“Oh? And what are you gonna do about it, little-“

“How about you just back the hell up a little?” Said Bellamy, stepping between them. Octavia scoffed a little, but he felt her relax a little behind him.

“Oh, so now big brother has to protect you?” Roan’s girlfriend Echo walked up right at that moment, but Bellamy kept his eyes forward, burning through Roan’s skin with his glare.

“Oh, she doesn’t need me to protect her, but I’m going to anyway.” He stood a little taller, and tried to make himself more broad. Roan had him by a few inches and was a little bigger, but Bellamy could feel the rage in his veins, and it had been a long time since he’d been in a fight. He had no doubt he could take him if it came too it. He thought maybe Roan could sense it too, because he took a small step back, and he watched Bellamy see it. Victory in an expression of fear. He cocked an eyebrow at Roan, smirking.

“Maybe go find someone to pick on other than a freshman girl, huh? And watch your step, Winters.” Roan rolled his eyes, and stalked off, leaving Echo behind.

“Sorry about him, you know he’s all… dominance and bravado or whatever. He’s just marking his territory.”

“Well maybe you should tell him to mark it elsewhere.” He didn’t mean to be rude to her, but his anger was still bubbling just below the surface, and it wanted to be let out.

“I’ll let him know.” Something about the way she said it felt like she was… intrigued… more than offended. She nodded, smiling to Octavia, and turned to go just as Roan called her name down the hall. The rest of the hallway moved on quickly, but the anger never tempered.

At lunch he sat with Clarke, and his anger didn’t help when she brought up Lexa.

“Did she tell you she was gonna break up with me?” She asked, picking at her sandwich.

“No, but she talked to me after.”

“I think its just ridiculous. Why doesn’t she think I could handle this relationship long distance?”

“It wasn’t really about that. It wasn’t really about you at all, honestly.”

“What do you mean, how can our break up not be about me?” She pushed, turning to face him head on.

“It was just what she needed, Clarke, I don’t know what to say.”

“Why would she need to break up?”

“Because she would spend her whole time over there worrying about what YOU need, Clarke."

“Well I never asked her t-"

“You didn’t have to ask. It’s the way she is. It’s how we both are. She needs to keep the family she gets, so she’d do whatever you asked, and she knew it. She didn’t want to be the one saying no to everything because her girlfriend wanted to Skype. She’d never be able to feel like she was free to do what she pleased if she was still dating you.”

“Well why wouldn’t she just tell me that? I would have understood, we could have worked it out, I wouldn’t have-“

“Because you’re not like us Clarke. You weren’t abandoned, you’re mom didn’t have to-… do what she had to to keep you alive. You’re not like us Clarke. You wouldn’t understand, because there’s no way you could get it.” He stood up, yanking his bag on his shoulder. “Look Clarke, we love you, and you’re like family to us, but your life? It’s nothing like ours.” Her mouth hung open a little, and her eyes were wide and laced with something sad. “I’ll see you around.”

He texted Octavia and asked to go to her boxing gym. She happily obliged. He spent the rest of the day vibrating with nervous energy and rage.

————

“What was that guys deal today anyway?” She said, her words slurred through her mouth guard, hands up in front of her face as she pounded the bag.

“Winter’s has always been a dick. Thinks because his mom is a senator he can be an ass at all times.” He was sitting on the floor,sweating heavy and breathing heavier.

“Well, thanks. I mean I didn’t need you to stand up for me but… thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“How come you didn’t invite Murphy to come along?” She was always prying.

“Because Murphy doesn’t do physical exercise unless it’s running from someone who’s house he egged or who’s car he keyed.”

“What about your other friends?” He glared at her, earning him raised arms in apology. “You know who would be fun to box with? That Echo girl. She’s on the volleyball team, right?”

“Yeah, why? Thinking of making friends with Roan’s girlfriend?”

“Oh, she’s Roan’s girlfriend? Seemed like she liked you.”

“Shut up, O.”

“What? It did!” He glared at her again. “I mean, what could it hurt anyway. Maybe a boyfriend or girlfriend would be good for you.”

“Good for me?”

“Yeah, I dunno. Help you expand your social circle outside of our house and _John Murphy_. Could be nice to have someone? What do I know.”

“Not much.” He teased, and she stuck her tongue out at him, but let the topic drop.

They got home that night and put on a movie after they had both showered, and he was asleep on the couch before the opening credits evens rolled, anger and physical exertion wiping him out.

_Octavia stood over Bellamy on the couch, staring down at him. He was asleep, the movie still playing in the background. She leaned down until her nose is almost on his forehead, breathing on his face. He didn’t even flinch, and she smiled mischievously._

_She darted upstairs to his room, yanking the beautiful carved wooden box out from under his bed that she had sneakily opened about a thousand times before, and pulled out the letters. All five of them, perfectly addressed in Bell’s loopy scrawl, in beautiful thick brown envelopes with gold wax seals on the back._

 

**John Mbege**

**Luna Maji**

**Echo Sarmento**

**Gina Martin**

**Clarke Griffin**

 

_She snapped the box back closed and brought it to her room, and ran downstairs to Jaha’s office, fishing through his desk to find 5 stamps, pasting them into the corners, and running outside to put them in the mailbox. She crawled into bed that night, a smile on her face, hoping that maybe… just maybe… her brother might finally find someone who would love him as much as he loved the rest of the world._

—————

Bellamy was sitting in the lunch room at the table he and Murphy, who was in lunchtime detention for setting a chem lab beaker on fire two days ago, usually shared, pouring over the reading assignment for his literature class that afternoon, when Echo Sarmento plopped down into the seat next to him.

“Listen, Bellamy… can we talk?” He looked up from his book, because he wasn’t sure when the last time Echo had actually tried to have a one on one conversation with him. 

“Uhhh yeah?”

“Listen, I know you heard about me and Roan breaking up, but…. look I’m just not sure its a good idea for us to…”

“Echo, what the hell are you talking about?”

“Listen, I think its really nice that you remember that slow dance at Roma’s party in 7th grade, and that kiss _was_ really sweet, and I’m glad you think my hair looks nice in the sunshine, but-“ He was pretty sure the room started spinning, and he closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose and trying to breath evenly. He was pretty sure she kept talking, but the whooshing sound in his ears drowned her out, and opening his eyes and glancing down at her hand in her lap confirmed his worst fear.

In her hand, right there, at school, _unsealed_ , was the love letter he had written her in the seventh grade. He felt the blood in his body run cold, and had to put both of his hands on the table bench to keep himself upright. Her mouth was still moving, but he still couldn’t quite focus on anything other than the broken gold wax seal and his own loopy scrawl across the heavy brown paper.

This was his worst fucking nightmare.

And just like that, as if the universe decided that now would be the absolute best day to throw every worst case scenario at him at once, he looked up and saw Clarke walking into the lunch room, letter in hand. She knew exactly where to look, because of course she did, and the minute her eyes met his he knew he had to act fast. She had a look of steely determination in her eyes and was walking in that way people walk when they’re not allowed to run but really want too. He ran through his options at lightening speed. He could:

  1. let her come over and have the conversation right then and there
  2. run, and inevitably have the conversation later
  3. just stab himself in the eye with the plastic fork on the table



or he could-

And before he had even finished fully forming the idea, he reached over, cupping Echo’s cheek, looked her dead in the eye, and whispered “look, I really really need to kiss you right now it’s pretty much life or death. is that…?”

She looked shocked, and half nodded, and so he leaned in and kissed her.

Her lips were warm and soft, and she tasted a little like a cookies and cream candy bar, and she kissed him back hesitantly, barely brushing her hands over his arms, like she wasn’t sure what to do with them. The kiss only last a few seconds, but when he pulled away, she looked like a cartoon character with birds spinning over their heads. He reached over and squeezed her forearm in a silent thank you, stood up, threw all of his things into his backpack as fast as he could, and raced out of the lunch room, directly past a very confused Clarke Griffin.

He just kept running, away from Echo, away from Clarke, away from the confrontation, until he got to the boys locker room, running in and finding a closed shower stall to hide in. He had only been there a minute when he heard a soft voice call his name.

“Bellamy? Are you okay?”

He stayed quiet, hoping she’d leave.

“I just wanted to return this letter, I have a feeling you didn’t mean to send it to me.” She sounded close, so he opened the shower curtain.

Luna Maji had been at his school since 7th grade, and he had taken her to their freshman spring formal. Since then, she had come out as bisexual, and then later came out as… nothing, because she said that labels weren’t her thing, she just loved who she loved and didn’t owe anyone anything, and was dating Raven Reyes, a brilliant girl who also happened to have a smart ass attitude to match. Luna smiled at him and handed him back the letter.

“Luna I-“

“I know. I figured I wasn’t really supposed to ever read this.”

“No… no you weren’t. I’m sorry if this makes anything weird. I know you’re dating Raven.”

“Don’t even worry about it Bellamy, the date at the top of the letter clarified everything. I had a nice time at that dance too.”

He remembered that night, her large curls pulled back into two thick braids, a small floral headband on her head, and a pretty blue/green dress that went just past her knees, with long sleeves and a puffy skirt, and shiny silver sandals with straps up her calves. She had been the prettiest girl at the dance, and he had written her letter that night, about how easy it was to be around her, about how pretty she looked, about how much he had liked holding her hand and kissing her on the cheek at the end of the night. He felt his cheeks heat up with embarrassment, and she noticed.

“Don’t be embarrassed. The letter was nice. I almost kept it, I’ve never gotten a love letter before, but I figured you might want it back.”

He contemplated taking it back, but she’d already read it, and it would do no good putting it back in the box. He couldn’t imagine Pandora ever tried to shove all the horrors of the world back in, and it would do him no good either. He just shook his head.

“You can keep it if you want, theres no point now.”

She grinned wide, taking it from his hand and slipping it back into her bag, and gave him a warm hug.

“Hope it all works out Bellamy.” She said, and left him to stew in his own drama in the locker room. He had no idea how the letters had gotten out. He could only imagine he had accidentally put the box close enough to his trash that Jaha had picked it up accidentally, and mailed them for him, but he certainly wasn’t going to make a huge deal about it to his foster dad. He probably thought he was doing something nice. There was no point in making a fuss anyway. The letters were out. Whoever had them, had them, and he was going to have to deal.

He texted Octavia after school, letting her know he was going to his favourite coffee shop to read, and hopped the city bus. She texted him saying Clarke had come looking for him, which he promptly ignored, and ordered a hot tea for himself, tucking into the back corner table and trying to ignore his problems for a few hours.

He thought it was going great, until Echo plopped down into the seat across from him, a giant green frappucino in hand.

He stared at her, gaping like a fish a little. She smiled.

“What are you doing here?”

“I wanted a matcha frap, sue me.”

He stared at her, prying with his eyes, until she caved.

“I mean… I wanted the matcha frap, but also your sister said you’d be here.”

He wondered how much prison time he’d get if he killed his sister. If he explained himself, they might give him a break. Apparently Echo had been waiting for him to speak, and when he didn’t she pushed on.

“I just wanted to… clarify. What happened at lunch today.”

“Echo, I don’t want to date you or… whatever you think is going on.”

“Really? Because you told me that kissing me was a life or death situation.”

“I meant- I needed Clarke Griffin to see me kiss you. Thats all.”

“Clarke Griffin? Isn’t she your best friend?”

“Yeah but she’s also my sisters ex, and apparently the letters I wrote got out somehow and she got one so i just needed to avo-“

“Wait, hold on.” He froze. “You wrote more than one letter? And you wrote one to your sisters girlfriend?”

“I wrote five letters, and I never meant to send them or anything, actually I _didn’t_ send them, but apparently you have them, so… yes.”

“That doesn’t answer the ‘you wrote your sisters girlfriend a love letter’ question.”

“Yeah, well. I liked her, probably before Lexa did, but when they started dating I needed to get over it, so I wrote her this letter as like… an emotional catharsis. But now she has it, so basically I’m screwed.”

“Right… I can’t believe you wrote _love letters_. Bellamy Blake, resident player, writes _love letters_?”

“Shut up Sarmento.”

“Shutting up, shutting up.” She chirped, raising her hands into the air in surrender. “Who else did you write letters too?”

“How is that _any_ of your business?”

“I mean, its not, but I’m nosey so…” She said, taking a slightly sarcastic sip of her frap, if that was even possible.

“Fine. A guy from middle school, and Gina Martin from model UN, Luna Maji.”

“Isn’t Luna dating someone?”

“Yeah, I wrote the letter in seventh grade okay.”

She nodded, and he drained the last of his tea, standing up.

“If we’re done with the interrogation, the next bus comes in like 10 minutes so I need to get to the stop.” He reached down to collect his bag and turned to find Echo standing, her keys in hand.

“How about I just drive you? No one actually likes taking city busses.”

Couldn’t argue with that logic.

————

Pulling up at his house, the air in the car was still a little awkward. He thanked her, and jumped out, walking towards the door, until he felt her hand on his arm.

“What are you gonna do about Clarke?” Not what he’d expected.

“I mean, I don’t know. Deal with it, I guess.”

“What does ‘dealing with it’ look like?”

“I don’t even know, honestly.”

“Well… What if you didn’t have to?”

“What?”

“What if we just… let her think you were with me? Let everyone think it, actually?” He blinked, pretty sure he was just hallucinating. Maybe he _had_ passed out earlier and this was his coma dream.

“What? Why would you do that? Not that I’m not a catch, obviously, but?”

“Well, Roan dumped me, but when he heard about you kissing me he hasn’t left me alone all day. Maybe it could help us both out. Help me make him think I’m over him, help you… avoid Clarke or whatever your plan is?” Her hand was still resting on his upper arm, warm through his shirtsleeve.

“I don’t think thats a good idea.”

“Well, just think about it. Might be a good way to help us both.” He just nodded, noncommittally, and turned around to go inside.

_Echo walked towards her car, mulling over the insane plan she had just dropped in his lap. She hadn’t even really thought it through that much, it sort just slipped out, but it might work. She was walking in a bit of a daze when a shock of blonde caught her eye, and she turned to find Clarke Griffin staring at her. She smiled and waved, receiving both in return, and kept walking, until she heard her name._

_“Hey, uh… Echo?” She felt herself almost bristle, but kept it down._

_“Yeah, Clarke right? You’re Bellamy’s friend?”_

_“Uh, yeah. You and him… are you… hanging out?”_

_“You could call it that.” She said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she climbed into the Jeep and turning it on. She rolled down the passenger side window as she passed Clarke’s house when Clarke waved her down._

_“Yeah?”_

_“How long as this been a thing? Bellamy didn’t mention it.” It wasn’t mean, or meant to be a dig. It felt earnest in a way she couldn’t explain. She smiled._

_“Not very long.” Clarke nodded, and she rolled down her driver side window as she drove off, letting the wind whip her hair as she drove home._

_————_

Laying on his bedroom floor, staring at the ceiling, Bellamy couldn’t help but replay what he wrote in Clarke’s letter over and over. He’d talked about her golden hair, he was pretty sure he called it “spun sunshine”, and her ocean eyes, and how much he loved that she was always there for him, and how heartbroken he was when Lexa asked her out first. He talked about how much he wanted to kiss her and hold her hand and all that stupid romantic bullshit, and now she had the letter. She had read it, she knew what he had said, knew his deepest darkest secrets. He wanted to pass out again just to stop thinking about it.

And just like that, as if he willed her into being, Echo’s voice appeared in his mind, talking over Clarke. “You never have to talk to her about it. You could just pretend to be with me. She’d never have to know, and neither would your sister.” Said his brains version of Echo. He kept staring at his ceiling, willing himself to find another way, to find something else that would let him avoid this problem, but he couldn’t find one.

He went to bed that night with a plan.

He went through school the next day with a steely determination. He barely spoke to anyone except Murphy, and managed to run into the nearest open classroom, bathroom, office, janitors closet, you name it, every time Clarke turned a corner, and then, the final bell of the day rang through the halls, and he marched himself to the gym.

He felt himself changing his mind, but kept walking, straight into the gym where the girls volleyball team was warming up. He walked right across the court, narrowly missed by more than a couple spiked volleyballs, and stopped a few feet from her.

“Hey, Sarmento!”

She turned, her pony tail flying as she spun around. She raised her eyebrows, just a little, and he walked forward and kissed her, cupping her face in one hand and wrapping the other around her waist. She let herself be kissed for just a second, before gently pressing him away. He looked her in the eye and she looked puzzled.

“Lets do this.”

She grinned and shoved him gently, and he turned to a group of stunned volleyball players, suddenly overcome with awkwardness.

“Uhhh… I’m gonna head to chem. Have a nice day ladies.” He spun around to find the door, and walked out, hearing her yell at the team to get back to practice before the door slammed behind him.

———

After school, she drove them to his favourite coffee shop. They plopped down a the table and Bellamy pulled out a notebook.

“What is that for?”

“Well, I figured some ground rules couldn’t hurt.”

She smirked at him, but nodded. “Fair point. Anything specific?”

“Well obviously we can’t TELL anyone that this is fake.”

“Obviously.” He rolled his eyes as he wrote it down. “Uhhh… I might have one.” He looked at her expectantly. “You can’t make fun of me.”

“Why would I make fun of you?”

“It’s just… I don’t want us to kiss anymore.” He tried to keep his face even, but his eyebrows shot up and before he could even his expression, she noticed.

“Physical stuff is… special… for me. I don’t- I’ve never really had control over any of the relationships in my life except for the physical ones, the romantic ones, so I don’t want that one thing to get muddled up. I don’t want to loose that authenticity to the one thing in my life I can control.” He had never seen her so vulnerable, the look on her face was almost fearful, like he would judge her or call her bluff somehow. Instead he just nodded, and wrote it down.

“We need some type of physical thing that we can do to show that we’re together. No one will believe it if we never touch.”

“Thats fair. Any suggestions?”

“Well… your boundaries are important, what do you want?”

“Well we can hold hands and stuff like that.”

“Okay.” He said, gentle. She seemed to be mulling something over, and he let her. They sat in quiet for a second, until she spoke again.

“How about forehead kisses? It’s… cute but not too much. Forehead and cheek?”

“Yeah that works.” He scrawled it onto the pad and looked up.

“Could you drive me and my sister to school? She hates the fucking bus, I think she’d like it.” She giggled, and he nodded, ignoring the way the sound made his heart stutter in his chest.

“Yeah, but you have to come to my friend’s parties with me, and eat lunch with me and my friends.”

“It’s not like I was eating lunch with anyone else.” She rolled her eyes. “Can Murphy join us or…?” Murphy rubbed… a lot of people the wrong way, so he tested the waters.

“If he wants too, but if he’s a dick his privileges are revoked.” Bellamy wrote that Murphy was welcome, and she reached across the table and scratched “if he behaves” in heavy letters next too it. He just laughed and finished writing.

“Is that it?”

“No, you also have to go on the December ski trip with me.”

“Thats like… 4 months away.”

“Yeah, but if I don’t put it down now, and for some reason this is still going on in December, I’m gonna need to have it in writing, because I know how you are.”

“Listen, Echo… I can’t afford to-“

“I’ll cover the cost, you just have to show up.”

He stared at her, and she motioned to the paper.

“Come on, Blake. Live a little.” A challenge. She had always been like that, he could remember it from when they were kids. Threatening, in an exciting way, like she was testing how far you’d go, even in the smallest things. She was staring him down now, a tilt to one eyebrow, like she knew that he might say no and was ready to tease, just a little. Instead, he picked up the pen, and wrote ‘Bellamy must go with Echo on the Ski Trip’ in bold letters at the bottom of the page, and he signed it before passing her the pen.

They reached across the table and shook on it, and Bellamy was sure that it would be over in a few weeks. He ignored how warm her hand felt in his, and how pretty her eyes looked in the warm lighting of the coffee shop. He sipped his coffee, and stared down at the contract on the table.

 

Fake Dating Rules:

  1. No one can ever know this is fake.
  2. NO KISSING. Bellamy may hold Echo’s hand, and kiss her on the forehead or the cheek.
  3. Echo must drive Bellamy and his sister to school
  4. Bellamy must sit with Echo at lunch (Murphy is welcome **if he behaves** ), and go to parties with her.
  5. Bellamy must go with Echo on the Ski Trip (if we are still together)



 

Echo Sarmento                                                             Bellamy Blake

 

The morning was chilly, and Octavia was taking forever.

“O! If we don’t hurry we will miss our ride!” He yelled up the stairs.

“Bell, the bus doesn’t come for another 20 minutes, shut up!”

“We aren’t taking the bus.”

That was enough to get her to pop her head out from her bedroom and pay attention.

“We’re not?”

“Well, _I’m_ not. But you will be if you don’t hurry up!!”

He heard her groan and scoff, but he also heard her open her closet, which meant she was getting her backpack and shoes, and he heard the jingle of her keys coming off of her key ring. He smirked to himself as she came bounding down the stairs.

“So did you magically acquire enough money to get a car orrrrr?”

“Stop asking so many questions. You’re so nosey.”

They stepped out the front door, Octavia still badgering him, and Echo pulled up in her white Jeep and swung her torso out the window.

“You coming or what, Blake? Little Blake?” Octavia’s eyes widened to the size of small dinner plates, and she raced him to the car, hopping the back, and then dug through her bag as Bellamy buckled himself into the front seat. She passed him a small plastic to go container with the emblem for Manila Manila grocery store on the front. He turned around, puzzled.

“Jaha stopped at the filipino grocery store on the way home from work last night and bought us Lumpia and arroz caldo. I split it in half this morning and packed you some for lunch.” He smiled, going to slip the container into his bag, when Echo reached over and grabbed it from him.

“Whats lumpia little Blake? Also, nice boxing gloves.”

“Well… my name is Octavia. First of all. And second, its sort of filipino egg rolls or spring rolls?” He scoffed, and Octavia rolled her eyes. “Bellamy hates when I call them that, but its the easiest way to explain them! But thanks! I go to a boxing gym nearby after school, my foster dad knows the owner and she gives me free lessons if I help clean up the gym after closing.”

Echo turned to him. “Can I try one Bellamy? Octavia, what gym do you go to?”

Before he could answer (and begrudgingly give her one of his favourite snacks), Octavia pipped up again.

“Indra’s, on 6th, and here, I’ll give you one of mine! They’re Bellamy’s favourite. Also, not to be like, rude or whatever, but why are you driving us to school?”

He’d have to strangle her later when no one was around to witness it.

“I’m his girlfriend, figured it was a nice thing to do for my boyfriend.” Echo said, smooth and easy, and Bellamy choked on air. Octavia looked practically gleeful from what he could see in the back mirror, and Echo smirked at him from the driver seat, and bit into the lumpia Octavia passed her as she drove away from the house, and they made plans to spar together soon.

—————

Echo’s lunch table was always full of people. Her best friend Harper and her boyfriend Monty were ever present, along with Raven Reyes, dark ponytail swinging behind her. Sometimes Miller would pop by, but he usually ate with his boyfriend Bryan, and every now and then the sweet hippie girl Gaia would come by, and she always shared her vegan pastries that she baked. Bellamy felt more than a little out of place surrounded by all of these people, but Monty was quick to welcome him, and Gaia passed him a cupcake as soon as he sat down at the table. Echo tossed her legs over his, and he rested his hands on her knees, and just… hung out.

Miller swung by, Bryan in tow, and asked him about his history project. Raven poked fun at him and Echo, and Monty and Harper, but then Luna showed up and he didn’t miss the way Raven preened when Luna pressed a kiss into her cheek, and he teased right back, earning him a broad smile from Echo and a look of begrudging respect from Raven. Harper was warm, and friendly, and called him Bell the entire time, even though only his sisters called him that, and he felt safe and apart of something nice.

He also didn’t miss the way Roan kept glancing over at them from his table across the hall with the rest of the football team, a look of anger flashing every time he saw them. He pressed a kiss into Echo’s temple when he knew Roan was looking, and she leaned into him, softening to his touch.

It all felt nice, until Clarke came into the lunch room, her lunch bag in her hands, looking around expectantly, and finding him at her table. She stopped cold, her eyes widening at he comfortable closeness of them, and turned on her heel to leave.

For the first time since the letters, he worried that avoiding talking about that stupid letter might cost him one of his best friends.

When the lunch Bell rang, Echo wrapped her arm around his waist, pressing a kiss into his jaw near his ear, and whisper “nicely done”, before smiling up at him and linking arms with Harper, walking off to class.

He barely had time to turn and head his own way before Murphy yanked him into the boys bathroom.

“Yo. You’re dating Sarmento?”

“Yeah I mean… yeah?” He tried to be at ease, but Murphy always saw straight through his lies, so he just decided to say as little as possible.

“How the hell did that happen?”

“It just… did?”

“Nah man, you better tell me.”

“Well… I wrote these love letters, like forever ago, and somehow they got mailed out and one was addressed to Echo and she got it and then-“

“And then you kissed her in the lunch room last week.”

“Yeah.”

“Well what did Lexa have to say? They were always friends, I bet she’s pumped.”

“Actually, i’ve kinda been… avoiding her. One of the letters was addressed to Clarke, I don’t want to deal with that.”

“She’s your sister man, you’ve gotta talk to her eventually. Plus, you’re with Echo now, so just explain that the letter was old news and be done?”

“I don’t think its that simple, man.” Murphy rolled his eyes, and then got the look in his eyes that he always had when he wanted something. Bellamy rolled his eyes. “Just spit it out man.”

“Well… Echo’s got that friend, Emori. With that badass hand. If you maybe wanted to… put in a good word or something?”

“Sit with us at lunch tomorrow and put in a good word yourself.”

“Man, I gotta do everything myself.” He scoffed, slinging his arm around Bellamy’s shoulder and leading them out into the hallway.

Murphy gave him and Octavia a ride home, and bummed on their couch all afternoon. He loved Jaha, he always said the mans ‘philosophy’ lectures that he’d give over coffee or dinner were his favourite thing. He was lounging across their couch, while Octavia did homework at the coffee table, and Bellamy washed dishes, when the doorbell rang. Murphy hoped up to get it, and came back in with Echo, hair wild and eyes bright, in a bright red jacket and dark jeans that hugged her curves, and a cropped hoodie. She slid up on the counter near the sink, waving to Octavia.

“Hey? What are you doing here?”

“I’m picking you up for Harper’s party.”

“What? No way, I’m busy tonight.”

Echo peered around the house. The house was clean, and there was a note from Jaha on the fridge about a lasagna in the fridge to bake.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I have to-“

“You don’t have to watch me Bell. Plus, Indra called earlier, the gym is closed tonight for some fight she’s hosting so I can’t go anyway. You should go!”

“Oh go where?” Murphy called, never looking away from the tv.

“Harper is having a party tonight. I’m gonna bring Bellamy.”

“Will your cute friend be there?” Echo looked at him, curious.

“Emori.” Bellamy said, sighing.

“Oh.” Echo said with a smirk. “Yeah, she’ll be there. Why, wanna join us Murphy?”

“Hell yeah I do.”

“Traitor!” Bellamy called back. Echo shut off the sink, and handed him a towel.

“Go get dressed.” She said, walking towards the couch to sit with Octavia.

“Better pick his outfit for him, he’s got the style of a grandpa!”

Echo laughed, and Murphy smirked, and Bellamy rolled his eyes and went get dressed.

—————

The walked up the door to Harper’s house, big and sprawling, and Bellamy froze in the doorway, and Murphy slammed into his back.

“Bro!”

“I don’t think this is a good idea, I don’t know if I should be here. Roan won’t like me showing up at stuff like this.”

“Thats WHY you’re here!” Echo said, half groaning as she pulled him close while Murphy wandered up to the door, whispering into his ear, “Besides, its in the rules. you have to.”

“Come on, y’all. It’s time to party.” Murphy called back, and opened the door, leading the way into the house.

“Wait, Bellamy,” Echo grabbed his arm and pulled him back. She pulled the glasses from his pocket, pulling them from the case and putting them on him. “You look nice with these on. They suit you.” She was still holding his arm, and her fingers grazed her wrist, finding the scrunchie there. “What is this?”

“Octavia always forgot her hair ties when she was a kid, so I got in a habit of wearing one for her, and just… never stopped?” She smiled at him, a look he couldn’t quite place, something soft and warm. She slid it off his wrist and pulled her hair up into a messy top knot, fiddling with it to put it in place. He reached up and straightened it out, pulling the bow a little to make sure it showed through her dark locks. His fingers brushed her cheeks as he lowered his hands, and the tips of them felt hot where they touched her skin.

“Looks nice on you, you should keep it.” He said, soft. She blushed a little, smiling soft, and reached over, taking his hand and tugging him into the party.

The house was full of people he vaguely recognised from school, beer pong tables and a keg taking up space in Harper’s living room, and mid volume music bumping through her surround sound speakers. Roan was in the back corner with the football team, so he wrapped his arm around Echo’s waist when he wasn’t looking, and led her towards the group of girls volleyball players who were waving at her, kissing her cheek and whispering in her ear that he was going to go get her a drink.

He looked through the doorway in the kitchen less than 2 minutes later to find Roan right next to her, brushing his hand up and down her arm and talking with her softly.

To her credit she looked mostly annoyed.

He waited a minute or so, and then grabbed two cups and walked back, coming up behind her and pressing a kiss into her bare shoulder, wrapping his arm around her other shoulder and pressing a drink into her hand, letting her lean back into his touch, familiar and warm. He looked up and his eyes found Roan, and they stared at each other for a minute. He spoke first.

“Hey Winters, whats up?”

“Just talking to my girl here.”

“Oh yeah? What’d he want, babe?” He said, turning to brush his nose against her cheek, still wrapped around her from behind. She leaned her head a little into him and smiled.

“Nothing really, I was just about to ask him about Ontari.”

“Oh yeah, how is your foreign girlfriend?” At that Roan scoffed and walked off, clearly annoyed that he wasn’t winning whatever game they were playing. Echo turned, staying close, and leaned up to talk softly into his ear.

“Nicely done, perfect timing.”

“Thanks. I got you water, hope thats okay.”

“Perfect!”

“He seemed… dare I say.. jealous?”

“You very well should dare.” She said, smirking, and then she pressed a kiss into his cheek and meandered back over to her team.

He was only alone for a minute before Luna popped up at his side, Raven under her arm.

“Hey, Bellamy!”

“Luna! I had no idea you were friends with Harper.”

“I’m not, Raven is.”

“We’re really close, been friends since we were little kids!”Raven said, smiling, and then the conversation flowed. They sat, close to where Echo and her friends were, chatting about school and friends and current events, Murphy came by at one point to brag a little that he had been talking to Emori for almost half an hour and was getting them drinks, and the night rolled on, nice an easy, and happy.

Roan glowered at them from the corner the rest of the party, and about halfway through the night Echo had managed to corral her friends just close enough that she could lace their fingers together behind her back, letting them just stand there, tangled up just a little.

He didn’t miss the way she grinned all night, even though he tried not to notice.

It was almost 1230 am when Echo asked him if he wanted food, and then said their goodbyes and made their way to her car.

————

“Emori seemed to like Murphy. She’s the only person I’ve ever seen him let call him John.”

“She’s always liked guys like him. Rough around the edges. I think she can see something in them that everyone else can’t sometimes.”

“I mean, I see it.”

“Yeah fair. Maybe he’s not all bad.”

“Maybe not.”

They were sharing a plate of fries at a diner near the party. Her red jacket was slung over a chair, and her hair was still pulled back in the bright scrunchie, and she looked relaxed, sipping her vanilla milkshake.

“You know you’re one of the only people Roan can’t walk all over, right?” Echo said, dipping her fry into the mustard on the plate. He had already poked at her about her weird condiment choices, so he just rolled his eyes. He had no idea where this was going, but he just smiled. He wasn’t afraid of anyone, not really, but Roan was one person he felt uneasy around. Like any minute Roan could say the right thing and the crowd around him would turn on him. Roan had that power over people. There was a reason everyone called him the king of their school.

“He doesn’t but he could.”

“Yeah, but he won’t. You make him nervous. Something about you makes him nervous. Like somehow you’d be able to take something away from him. And it shows. Like when he was teasing your sister, you stepped in and he just had to let it go.”

“You remember that?” He felt his neck heat up, remembering Echo walking up while Roan was teasing Octavia, and watching him step in between them, making himself large and broad and as threatening as he could.

“Of course. It was kind hot. No one ever stands up to him.” Bellamy ran his hands through his hair, trying not too look up at her, but he could feel her warm gaze over him. He picked up another fry and popped it into his mouth, and Echo’s phone buzzed on the table.

“Augh I wish he’d leave me alone. He spent the whole party ignoring me but now he keeps calling.”

“Are you going to answer?”

“I don’t know. I mean… I know I shouldn’t.. but i might call him later.”

“Why do you keep giving in to him? If you want him to be jealous you have to actually let him be jealous.”

“Yeah but I feel like owe him… because of his mom.”

“Yeah you lived with them for a while right?” He leaned back in his chair, creating space between them.

“Yeah after my parents left me Nia took me in, she let me live in their guest house, but it was… without a doubt a massive act of charity. She never let me believe I was ever part of any kind of family. Roan was the only one in that house that ever made me feel like I belonged.” Bellamy felt the weight of the air between them shift a little. “Sorry,” She whispered, somehow small, for the first time, “I didn’t mean to vent like that. I just figured with your mom and stuff you… you might… I don’t know.”

“No, I do.”

“Yeah but your mom died, my parents are still alive they just-“

“No, you’re still allowed to feel that loss, Echo. It’s just as real for you as it is for me.”

They sat there in silence for a second, and he watched as she shifted in her seat, like she wanted to speak but couldn’t.

“You don’t have to talk to me about it, but if you want too, I’m here. If you need someone who might understand you, I’m here.”

“You sure are willing to let me open up, considering you never let anyone past that wall you’ve built up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you’ve never dated anyone, even though I know for a fact Bree Skyler asked you out last year, and so did that cute brunette guy from your biology class our freshmen year. You always turn down everyone who approaches you. You close yourself off from everyone, all the time. You’ve got like… one friend, Murphy. You keep yourself so isolated. Why?”

“You pay attention to me well enough to know all of that?”

“SOOO not the point Blake.” She said through a mouthful of milkshake, but he watched her fidget with her sleeves and he thought maybe she hoped he wouldn’t not that she had noticed those things. He let her have that. “So tell me, why?”

“Letting people in… letting people get close to you… it just means they can leave later. It also means they can show up and be there, until they realise how fucked up my life is and decide that its to much baggage for them to deal with and turn and run for the hills. I’d much rather just… feel safe with my sisters and Murphy than worry about loosing more people.”

Echo nodded, a soft expression on her face that told him she knew just what he meant. She leaned back in her chair.

“Well, for what its worth, you’ve shared your baggage with me and I haven’t run.”

“Yeah but you have no reason to run.”

“Oh? Why not.” She leaned towards him, tapping her fingers on the table just a breath away from his own, and he could feel the charge in the air. He could feel the shift. He pushed his own feelings back into his chest, and said the words he’d been saying over and over to himself all night.

“Because we’re just pretending.”

Echo looked like he had dumped cold water on her, for just a brief second, and then she stoned back up, and smiled, faker than he’d seen from her in a while.

“Of course. Right.” She shook her head, just too herself, and stood up. “Want me to drive you home?” He wanted to reach out, to ask her more questions, to try and get to know her, to get past the facade she had built, but he could feel the moment slipping away, and so instead he just nodded, paid for their fries and milkshakes, and got in the car.

Later that night, when she posted a photo of them at the party, he texted her.

 **Me** : Really? You had to pick that one?

His phone was silent for a minute or two, and then it buzzed.

 **Echo** : Deal with it, Blake. :-*

He locked his phone, and curled into bed, thinking about the way her face changed when he reminded her that it was all pretend.

———

Echo came over late in the evening, because she had insisted he watch some movie he’d never seen, and so they were sprawled on the couch, legs tangled together, Octavia sitting on the floor, watching Ferris Bueller fuck around for a whole day. The movie wasn’t quite half over when the doorbell rang, and Octavia leapt up, grabbing her bag from by the door and running out. He jumped up and chased her.

“Where are YOU going?” He said, peering into the window the car she had hopped in. A girl he’d never seen sat in the drivers seat.

“This is Niylah, she’s a friend from school. We’re gonna go to the movies.”

“We’re watching a movie right now?”

“Yeah… I know.” She quipped, and winked at him as Niylah drove away.

A set up. Perfect.

He sighed and walked back inside.

“Octavia set us up.”

“Huh?” She said, barely looking up from the movie.

“She left. So we could be alone.”

“Oh.” Echo finally looked up at him where he stood behind the couch. They were silent for a minute, the loud music playing from the tv, before she spoke again. “Well, I could eat. If you wanna feed me.” He rolled his eyes, fond, and walked into the kitchen, pausing the movie, Echo following quick behind.

He pulled out all of the stuff for pasta, and Echo plopped up on the counter and crossed her legs underneath her.

He filled a pot with water, and she thumbed through his phone, finding a playlist. She turned on some soft pop ballad playlist and turned it on quiet in the background while he cooked. The pasta had just gone into the pot when a song came on the brought memories rushing back. He looked up and she smiled.

“Roma’s birthday party.”

“Yeah.” She was still smiling.

“Isn’t this song called like.. Banana Waffles or something?”

“Banana _pancakes_ , but yes.” She rolled her eyes, and then hopped off the counter, holding out her hand. “For old times sake?”

He huffed out a laugh, and took her hand, pulling her into him, and they spun around his kitchen to the music.

At first it was just funny, spinning and dipping dramatically, but after a bit, she just settled into him, holding his hand, her other arm tucked around his waist, their foreheads pressed together, as they swayed and turned to the soft vocals and ukulele strum. The song ended, and he spun her out away from him, earning him a theatrical bow and a loud laugh from her, and then the pasta almost boiled over and their soft little bubble popped.

So he warmed up the sauce, made her a plate, and they ate, making easy conversation while she sat on the counter until they were both done, and then she asked him about his mom.

“Do you miss your mom?” It caught him a little off guard, but he tried not to show it.

“Sometimes. Sometimes I’m so angry with her for the things we had to go through as kids, but most of the time I just want my mom back. Why?”

“Sometimes I feel… weak… because I miss my parents.”

“Why does that make you feel weak?” He asked, leaning against the counter with his hip, staring at her profile. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, and he tried to ignore how the sight of that tugged at his belly and made him _want_ , just a little.

“Because… If they didn’t want me, why should I want them?”

“I think it’s natural to want to be wanted.” That got her attention, and she turned to face him.

“Do you?” She pushed, just a little. “Want to be wanted, that is.”

“It’s all I want.”

“Explain.” Sometimes he got the feeling that handling her own complex emotions made Echo nervous, and hearing someone else explain their thought process helped her. Like she had closed herself off to them for so long they were almost foreign.

“Well I just… I want the people in my life to want me there. I don’t want to feel like a burden, or a charity case. I want to feel like, wherever I am, whoever I’m with, I’m wanted.”

“I feel like that sometimes.” He smiled, and watched as she glanced down at his lips.

“I think it’s okay to feel like that.” He whispered, keeping still. She kept watching his mouth, like she was in a bit of a daze. He reached over and brushed his fingers against her wrist, soft, and let his hand rest on top of hers on the counter. She flipped her hand over, and he brushed his fingers over her palm and down her fingers, gently brushing them back and forth, watching her follow the motion with her eyes. He finally stilled them, letting their fingertips rest together, and she looked up at him again, and he stepped closer, just enough to let her know that if she wanted too, if she was ready, he was open to it. She seemed to understand, and leaned forward just enough, and pressed her lips against his.

Her lips were soft, and tasted like tomato sauce and garlic, and he kept himself still, letting her lead. She opened her lips just a little, to capture his bottom lip between them, deepening the kiss just enough. He reached up and brushed her cheek with his free hand, cupping her jaw and running his thumb over her strong cheekbones, following her lead as she tipped her head a little and urged them on.

So they stood, in his kitchen, fingers brushing on the counter, kissing softly surrounded by empty pasta bowl, to the sound of soft slow songs coming from his phone, for just a minute. She leaned back after a while, and he had to force himself not to try and chase her lips with his own, and she smiled, almost shy, and hopped down to help him do the dishes. They didn’t talk about it, but she stood a little closer to him, and let their arms brush and hips bump and at the end of the night when she went to leave, she pressed a warm kiss into his neck, right under his jaw, before she walked out the door.

The next morning he woke up to a text from Octavia with a photo of him and Echo dancing in the kitchen, foreheads pressed together, a little blurry because they were spinning, with a note saying that she’d come back because she forgot her wallet and they hadn’t noticed her come in.

He made the photo the background on his phone, and then rolled out of bed to start his day.

————

The next few days at school were nice, probably nicer than most of his high school career combined. He would sit with Echo at lunch, walk her to class, she’d drive him home after school, and even though she didn’t kiss him again, he felt like maybe, just maybe, this fake relationship might become real.

He should have realised how foolish that was.

He was standing out by the front doors of the school, waiting for Echo to come out and meet him to drive home, when he heard her voice carry from across the parking lot, and saw her and Roan standing outside her car.

“… Listen, Ontari was just a temporary thing, you were always supposed to be my girl. I dont know why you’ve been wasting time with Blake anyway.”  
“I’m not _wasting_ time with him.” She had her arms wrapped around herself, tight, like she was trying to hide from something. Hide from him.

“Oh no? Then what do you call it? We all know where your real loyalties lie, and it isn’t with him.”

“What the hell did you expect me to do, Roan? You dumped me and ran off with Ontari literally the next day. I was bound to move on.”

“Move on? Yeah right.”

“Well, maybe if you hadn’t broken up with me we wouldn’t be here.”

That was all he needed to hear. He pulled his backpack up on his shoulders and started the walk to his house. Of course. He had been so foolish. She didn’t want to be with him, she wanted to be with Roan, just like she had told him when all of this started. Prove to Roan that she was over him, which really meant make him jealous, he had always known that. Murphy texted him halfway home, so he let himself get picked up on the road, and they went to Murphy’s house.

They were doing homework on his bedroom floor when he finally just let himself talk about it.

“I think Echo wants to get back together with Roan.” It wasn’t the whole truth, it wasn’t like they were even together, but Murphy didn’t know that.

“Ah dude, come on, if y’all break up Emori definitely won’t go out with me.” He chucked his pen at Murphy’s head.

“I’m for real man.”

“So am I.” Bellamy aimed a book, and Murphy backtracked. “Alright alright, fine. What happened?”

“I heard her talking to Roan, about how if he hadn’t dumped her they wouldn’t be in this place where she has to choose between us.”

“That doesn’t necessarily mean she wants to get back together.”

“It also doesn’t mean that she doesn’t.” 

“Yeah… yeah fair.”

“For what it’s worth, I think she’s really into you. I mean, you’re going on the ski trip together. Thats a pretty big deal.” His mind flashed to the rules they had written up, folded up on a book on his shelf.

“Yeah, I guess.”

“Dude, just keep doing what you’re doing, and if you’re really worried about it just ask her.”

“Why did i even come to you for advice?”

“Beats me, man.” And that was that. They dug back into homework, and when Echo texted him later that night to ask where he’d been after school, he lied and said Murphy had grabbed him right after class and he’d forgotten to text her.

The next morning, his doorbell rang over and over again at about 630 am, until he groaned and rolled out of bed, pulling on sweat pants and traipsing down his stairs to open the door to find.. Clarke.

“Why are you not dressed?”

“Was I _supposed_ to be dressed?”

“Well, it’s the last Saturday of the month so…”

 _Cinnamon rolls._ He and Clarke had a standing tradition where every month, on the last Saturday of the month, they would drive 45 minutes to the best bakery in the area, and buy enough cinnamon rolls for him, her, his sisters, her mom, and Thelonius. They always left at the ass crack of dawn, so they could be back before normal human breakfast hours were over. With all the other crazy in his life, he had lost track.

“Give me 15 minutes.” She rolled her eyes and he ran up the stairs, yanking on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and brushing his teeth while he yanked on socks and shoes, washing his face as fast as he could and rubbing in his moisturiser as he ran down the stairs, wallet and phone in hand.

“It took you 17.”

“Yeah well, you’re pushy.” She shrugged, and led the way to the car, and that was when he realised, this was the first time they had been alone since the letter. He froze, just for a second, but she didn’t notice, so he picked up the pace, hopping into the passenger seat without much fuss, and immediately set to work to find a playlist she wouldn’t object to, to avoid silence at all costs.

It worked the first leg of the trip. They made it to the bakery without incident, ordered 6 cinnamon rolls (an extra to share on the drive home, like always), and were 30 minutes into the drive when Clarke reached over to turn down the music and he felt his stomach rise into his throat.

“So… that letter.” He just starred straight ahead. “You’ve been avoiding me for weeks now, Bell.” Still nothing. He bit into his cheek to keep himself from saying something he’d regret. “So you’re just not gonna say anything?”

“I wrote the letter a long time ago.”

“Right when i started dating Lexa, I know. I could kinda tell from what you talked about.”

“Yeah.” He starred straight forward, pulling a piece of the pastry off and popping into his mouth.

“You said you’d never love anyone like you loved me.” He could see them turning the corner into their town. If he just kept himself quiet for another 7 minutes, he’d be home free.

“That I did.”

“Did you mean it?”

“I really don’t want to talk about this.”

“Bellamy!” She pulled up to a stop light. Five minutes.

“Clarke.” Maybe if he was taunting she’d stop.

“You have to talk to me about this, we can’t just ignore it.”

“We can. We most certainly, certainly can.”

“Bell, we’ve been friends for like eight years,” three minutes, “this is a big deal. We have to be able to have to conversation.”

“I had feelings for you. I wrote you a love letter. You were never supposed to _get_ the love letter. I’m dating Echo now. What are we supposed to talk about.” They pulled up in front of his house, and he opened the door. “You coming in for cinnamon rolls?” She looked stunned.

“Uh.. No, no I’ll just take mine and my moms inside.”

“Okay, I’ll see you around.”

He hopped out of the car, and was halfway up his walk when she called his name. He turned to find her running up to him.

“Why are you and Echo… I just… I don’t understand.”

“What? It’s so insane that someone would actually want to be with me?”

“No, I- I meant-“

“Don’t worry about it Clarke. I got it.”

“Bellamy thats not-“ She broke off, and he turned, and walked about 3 steps, before she raced around in front of him and pressed up on her toes, kissing him hard in the middle of his front yard at 830 in the morning on a Saturday, the morning dew still wet on the grass around him. She grabbed his sweater and pulled him down into her, and his hands found her waist, holding her steady as she kissed him, heavy, mouth open, tongue running over his lips and his teeth, the taste of cinnamon buns mingling between them. The kiss only lasted a minute before he pushed her away, standing back, feeling shellshocked.

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

He couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. His lips burned where she’d kissed him, but where 2 months ago he wouldn’t have been able to think about anything else, the only thing in his mind right now was his last kiss before this. In his kitchen, with soft music in the background, the taste of tomato sauce on her lips, brown hair and tan skin, her fingertips brushing his own on the kitchen counter. The only thing he could think of was…

“Echo.” It was the only word he could get out. She had the good sense to look embarrassed.

“Right. I’m sorry. That was wrong of me, I should never have-“

“No. You shouldn’t have. I’m with someone else, and yo-… You’re Lexa’s. Even if you aren’t hers anymore, I’d never do that to my… shes my family, Clarke. You shouldn’t have done that.” He finally willed his legs to move, and walked past her into the house, where thankfully, everyone was awake, but back in the kitchen.

No one had seen. No one would know except him, and Clarke. And Echo, because he had to tell her the truth.

————

He showed up at school early the morning of the ski trip with Murphy, who was over the moon that Emori had invited him to come along, and immediately zeroed in on Echo across the parking lot, standing with Emori, Luna, and Harper. He motioned to her and she came over.

“I have to tell you something.” She looked concerned.

“What’s wrong?”

“Clarke kissed me on Saturday. I stopped her and pushed her away, and reminded her that we were together but I just… thought you should know.”

She stood there silent for a second, and he watched the wall go back up.

“You didn’t have to tell me. It’s not like we’re really together.” She said, wrapping her arms around her chest.

“After what happened in my kitchen I just thou-“

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you later.” She heaved her bag a little higher on her shoulder and turned on her heel towards her friends, and climbing on to the bus. He followed a little ways behind, to find the seats around her full, so he walked towards the back where Murphy was sitting alone.

“You suck dude.” Was the greeting he got.

“What the hell did I do to you?”

“Whatever you did to Echo got all of the girls sitting with her so you couldn’t, so Emori wouldn’t sit with me.”

“Clarke kissed me, and I told her about it.” Murphy groaned.

“Dude. What the fuck.”

“I didn’t kiss HER, and I stopped her and told her no.”

“How long did you wait to tell her?”

“What?”

“When did she kiss you?”

“Saturday?”

“And you waited until Friday to say something?”

“Well… I didn’t- I… yeah, I guess.” Murphy just shook his head, and pulled his headphones on, leaving Bellamy to wallow in his stupidity, staring at Echo’s bun over the top of her seat, wrapped in his colourful scrunchie.

The bus pulled into the hotel, and they filed out, grabbing their bags and collecting keys that they would all swap around, and finding their rooms. Luna sidled up next to him as the rooms filled up.

“Wanna share, Blake?”

“Are you supposed to be talking to me?”

“Oh calm down. Echo’s upset but she’s not insane.”

“Where’s Raven, thought you’d be sharing with her?”

“She has a robotics competition next weekend, and they have practice this weekend she couldn’t miss.”

“Oh.”

“… So did you want to share or…?” He watched as Murphy and Emori tangled their fingers together and walked up the stairs. He turned and looked at Luna, curls wild around her head, and nodded.

“Yeah, sound good, but I really need to talk to you.”

———

“You guys have been FAKING? Since the letters?”

“yeah but you cant-“

“Tell anyone, yeah I know.”

“But now I feel… I don’t know. I feel weird.”

“You feel like maybe you actually like her.”

“Yeah, and I thought she maybe liked me too, but now she won’t talk to me.”

“You hurt her. She’s not just gonna be cool with it right away.”

“I know that, but now I feel like… maybe she thought it was just fake for me too or something? I dont know.”

“You know the remedy to all this not knowing?”

“What? And if you say talk t-“

“Talk to her.” He rolled his eyes, and Luna smiled. “She likes you. She really does, she never stops talking about you. About how kind you are, how sweet, how gentle with her. You make her feel loveable, in a way that Roan never did. You just need to go find her, go talk to her.”

“I don’t even know where to go.” At that Luna stood up and walked over to the window.

“I’d say the lonely looking girl sitting in the snow outside is a good place to start.”

He hoped up from his bed and ran over to the window, looking out on Echo sitting outside in the snow in her ski clothes, staring out over the mountain.

“Oh, and Bellamy?” Luna said, as he yanked on his jacket and his boots, “Be careful with her. She’s more fragile than she lets on.” He nodded, smiling, before grabbing a blanket and racing out the door.

He ran down the stairs and outside, slowing to a walk when he spotted her, coming up behind her and calling her name softly, so he wouldn’t startle her. She turned and steeled herself before looking back out over the view. He laid the blanket over her shoulders and sat down next to her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the kiss right away.” She didn’t say anything, just kept staring ahead. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just wanted to tell you in person, but we were always surrounded by you friends all week, and I didn’t want you not to know before the trip.”

“So you thought it would be better just to ruin the trip for me instead? How thoughtful.”

“I just… I don’t know. I meanI guess it’s fine, since Roan isn’t here anyway, we don’t have to worry about him seeing.”

“You think Roan has anything to do with this anymore?”

“What?”

“You think I give a crap about Roan seeing? I haven’t talked to him in weeks, I’m moving out this weekend, I-“

“You didn’t tell me that.”

“Yeah, well I just found out this week. Figured it was time.”

“Why didn’t you tell me.”

“What, I’m supposed to share important stuff with you but you don’t have to share things with me?” He couldn’t think of anything to say, so he tried to redirect.

“Well, if you don’t care about Roan seeing anymore, then why did you still want me to come on this trip? Hasn’t this relationship filled its purpose?” She scoffed.

“You think I only brought you here to make Roan jealous?”

“Well, I don’t know.”

“Well you got what YOU wanted. Clarke kissed you, why don’t you just go be with her. She was the one you really wrote a love letter too.”

“I never wanted to be with her, I just wanted avoid the situation. You were the one who came up with this, to get back at Roan.”

“You’re right Bellamy, this is all my fault.” She stood, letting the blanket fall into the snow. “I should never have suggested this. Consider it over, contract fulfilled.”

“Echo, thats not what I-“

“I’m tired of playing fake girlfriend, tired of being fake loved. Have a nice trip Bellamy. I’ll see you around.” And she turned and walked off, leaving him sitting in the snow. He collected the blanket and made his way back to his room, only to be met with Luna’s eager expression.

“It didn’t really go as planned.” Was all he said, watching her face fall, and he crawled into bed thinking of banana pancakes and kitchen slow dancing, and lost chances at the perfect girl.

————

He made it home from the ski trip, Sunday morning, and walked into his kitchen to find Lexa sitting on the counter, eating a bowl of cereal. She hopped down, smiling, and wrapped him in a huge hug, pressing her face into his chest and holding him just for a minute.

“I missed you big brother.” She whispered into his sternum before pulling back and turning around quickly, but not before he could see the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. He smiled at her.

“I missed you too.” She pulled out a bowl, and was pouring him some cereal too, when Octavia came downstairs, rumpled and morning struck, but smiling.

“Lex made ithome late last night. Didn’t tell anyone she was coming.”

“Clearly. Sneaky as always.”

“Want some cereal, O?”

“No time, I’m going to the boxing gym with Echo.” Bellamy turned so fast he almost got whiplash.

“With Echo?”

“Sarmento? From the volleyball team? I didn’t know you guys were friends!”  
“Yeah, she’s Bellamy’s girlfriend. Didn’t he tell you?” Octavia grabbed her protein shake out of the fridge and shoved a water bottle in her bag, kissing them both on the cheek before heading towards the door just in time for a honk to echo through the house. He could see the front of Echo’s white Jeep through the front window.

“You’re dating Echo? Since when?”

“Well.. We.. aren’t. Anymore.” She gave him a stoney look, and like always, it broke him. He poured himself a cup of coffee, leaned against the counter, and told her the whole story.

The love letters.

The avoiding Clarke.

The fake dating.

The kiss with Echo.

The kiss with Clarke.

The ski trip.

When the story finished, she just stared at him for a second, and he wriggled under her gaze.

“You wrote Clarke a love letter?”

“Yeah. Right after you started dating. I didn’t want to have feelings for her anymore, so packed them away into the letter, and sealed it up in a box. Somehow they got sent out, I never meant for her to read it. It was just my way of… dealing. Emotional catharsis.”

“And then you pretended to date Echo to avoid dealing with it?”

“Yeah, not my best moment.”

“And then Clarke kissed you?”

“I stopped her right away, I promise. Whether you’re with her or not I’d-… you’re family Lexa. I would never.” She nodded, pursing her lips just a little.

“You know how those letters got out, don’t you?”

“What? No?”

“Octavia sent them.”

“How could Octavia have sent them she didn’t even know…” He trailed off, the sudden realisation of what should have been _so obvious_ washing over him. “Of course. I’ll kill her.”

“No you won’t.”

“Oh yeah? And why not?” He was being patronising now, but he knew she was right.

“You wont, because without those letters, you wouldn’t have ever gotten to be with Echo. Now you can try and work it out. She was being Octavia, good intentions, maybe poor direction on how to get there.”

“She’s right you know.” They both turned, to find Clarke standing sheepishly in the door way.

“I saw Octavia leave, I thought I’d stop by and apologise for the other day. I didn’t know you were home yet, Lexa.”

“Just got back last night.” Her voice was icy.

“Right.” She was tugging on her shirt sleeves and staring at the floor. “Well, I just wanted to say I was sorry. I shouldn’t have… kissed you.” She looked over at Lexa, who stared right back.

“She already knows, I told her.”

“Good, uh.. yeah thats good.”

“Surprised you didn’t.”

“Well, we weren’t really talking all that much.” She was still plying with her sleeves. “Anyway, I just wanted you to know that… Echo seemed good for you. I think you being with someone just confused me. It wasn’t like before, it felt… weird. Between us. And I couldn’t tell if it was the letter, or you being with someone, or both. So I thought if i kissed you, it might help me work it out. But it didn’t. It just made it weirder, because you were with Echo and I was an ass. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I shouldn’t have avoided you about the letter.”

“I’ll give you guys a minute.” Lexa said, from the corner, grabbing her tea and walking upstairs. She turned on the top landing and called back down. “It was good to see you Clarke. We should get coffee or something soon, I’d like to catch up.” Clarke nodded, shaking her head a little as Lexa disappeared up the stairs.

“ ‘Get coffee’ she says, like we don’t live next door to each other.”

“You know how she is.”

“That I do.”

“Are you still in love with her?”

“I don’t know. Probably. But I don’t think it’s the same anymore. Maybe now that she’s home…”

“She’s going back. She got accepted to a private high school there for the last year and a half. Paris suited her.”

“She didn’t mention…”

“I don’t think she told anyone but Jaha, he was the one who told us. She’ll be back for summer, and Christmas right now. But she’s not staying.”

“Right.”

They stood in silence for a minute, before he spoke up again.

“I am sorry about the letter. I should have talked to you about it.”

“Yeah, you should have.” She teased, bumping her hip against him as she walked by to get a cup of coffee. "I think the letter just sort of caught me in a weird place. Lexa broke up with me, I felt... lost. And here you were, telling me that you loved me, that you'd alway love me. I thought maybe... Maybe it was meant to be or something. Like fate. I don't know."

“I get that. I just… I didn’t feel that way anymore, not really, and Lexa… I just didn’t want to deal with it.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that?”

“The letter you got… I wrote it a while ago, and it was the first letter I wrote from feelings that were REAL, not crushes from little moments. You’re letter was because I _knew_ you, like really knew you. But then you started dating Lexa and as time went on I realised, even if I loved you then, I didn’t love you like that now.”

“I mean, I would have understood that.”

“I know, but you know me. I like to avoid conflict whenever possible.”

“That is very true.” She smiled, blowing on her coffee as the steam rose around her face. “What about Echo?”

“I think she was a part of that realisation.”

“You have real feelings for her.”

“Yeah. But I think I screwed it all up.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” For the second time that morning, her cursed their well oiled front door hinge, as he looked up to find Octavia eavesdropping.

“Oh yeah? And why would you say that?” He pressed. “Also, I know you mailed my letters, so choose your words carefully or I might decide against letting you live.” She rolled her eyes.

Sisters.

“Well, she never shuts up about you when we box.”

“What? When you box? Like you’ve done this before?”

“Yeah? She takes me every Sunday, and every Wednesday, and sometimes Friday nights.”

“For how long?” He was stunned. He had no idea Echo had been spending time with his sister.

“Since like... a week after you guys got together.”

“Okay, thats all very nice, but FOCUS Octavia, what has Echo been saying about your brother.” Clarke pressed.

“Yeah, I wanna know too!” Lexa said from the staircase. “Sorry, came down to put my cup in the sink.” She said, shrugging.

“Ohmygod.” He said, putting his face in his hands.

“Well, she just talks about you all the time. About how handsome you are, which… gross, by the way. And how smart you are, and how much she likes spending time with you.”

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Today, all she did was ask me if she made a mistake by breaking up with you on the ski trip. And telling me how much she liked you STILL.”

“Okay but Octavia we-“

“Were faking? I know. She told me that too. She said she needed someone to talk to about how she had real feelings for her fake boyfriend. You guys are a walking rom-com, you do realise that right?”

He sat, a little stunned, while Clarke laughed loudly and Lexa just smiled.

“I think you should go for it big brother, I think theres no way she won’t say yes.”

“I don’t know if its a good idea.”

“I do. You’ve never been so relaxed or comfortable with anyone other than the 3 of us in this kitchen with you, and we don’t even count really. You finally had friends other than Murphy, you seemed… happy. I think you need this.”

At that, Jaha popped his head out as well.

“Good lord is this an intervention? Did you all PLAN this?”

“No, we didn’t, son, but they’re right. I know that sometimes letting other people in can terrify you, and thats your right, after all you’ve been through. But this girl? She seems like she understands that. Seems like she understands you. Letting people in can be very healing, you know.” The girls all nodded, somewhat solemnly, around the kitchen.

“Yeah… Yeah maybe you’re right.”

“Of course we are, we’re your family. We know you. We know whats best for you, even if sometimes you don’t.”

And with that Lexa traipsed back upstairs, and Octavia followed, Jaha grabbed his wallet from the counter and walked out to his car, and Clarke stood for a minute in the kitchen, just watching him.

“I think, for what its worth, that it’s been obvious that she liked you since she drove you home that first time. I caught her outside and she sort of puffed up at me, not in a mean way. But in like, a defensive way. Like she wasn’t sure how I would be, and she wanted to feel me out, and see if I was a threat. Of course I didn’t know you were faking at that point, but it didn’t seem fake.”

“We weren’t faking, not yet.”

“Proves my point even more. I’d say go after her, Blake. A good love story always starts with a leap of faith.”

He shook his head, and she reached over and squeezed his hand.

“Glad we’re back, Bell.”

“Me too, Clarke.” She smiled, and headed out the door to go home, leaving him to ponder.

He took a shower and was heading to grab his wallet when Octavia popped her head out again.

“If you’re going to look for Echo, she’s at Indra’s gym.”

“I thought you guys left there.”

“We did, but she lives with Indra now, and Indra lives above her gym.”

“She lives with her? She found a place?”

“Yeah, Indra heard she was looking for somewhere because Echo asked for a job to afford rent, and wouldn’t hear of it. She signed the foster care papers this week. She didn’t tell you?”

“Well we were in a fight.”

“Yeah, fair. But yeah, I’d check there first.” He smiled at her, and went to leave, but turned to stop quickly before he did.

“This might be enough for me to forgive you about mailing those letters.” She rolled her eyes before going back into her room, and he raced out the door.

Clarke caught him in the driveway and offered her car.

“It’s the least I can do. So you don’t have to take the bus to your big romantic gesture.” He tried to protest, but she wouldn’t hear it, and before he really knew what was going on, he was behind the wheel of her Porsche, driving towards Indra’s gym.

He pulled into the parking lot and got out, marching straight into the gym, where she was wailing on a bag in the back corner. He walked over and waited until she took a small break to say her name. She turned and froze.

“Hey, uhhh… I just… I need to say something.”

“Yeah?” She said, looking around a little awkwardly.

“That kiss with Clarke? It didn’t mean anything to me.”

“… okay?”

“But that kiss with you? In my kitchen? I haven’t stopped thinking about it for weeks.” He saw her bite her cheeks, like she was trying not to smile.

“I just… I need you to know that I like you, Echo. I think I’m pretty close to loving you, actually. And not in a fake way.” She was smiling for real now, her nose scrunched up and her eyes sparkling.

“You do?”

“Yeah. I’ll even write you a love letter, if that’s what it takes.”

“You don’t have too.”

“No?”

“No. Because I’m pretty close to loving you too, Bellamy. And not in a fake way either.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He stepped forward, putting his hand’s on her hips and bringing his forehead to touch hers.

“Should we write up any rules this time?” She whispered, soft and just for him.

“No, I don’t think we need them. Just gotta trust.”

“Planning on breaking my heart, Blake?”

He just shook his head, leaned in just a little, and finally kissed her.

Right there, in the gym, surrounded by boxers and the smell of sweat, under the bright lights, but somehow, no kiss had ever felt more right. She found his upper arms with her tape wrapped hands, and then slid them around his torso to hold him close, opening her lips a little to let him kiss her, firm and deep, but soft. He slid a hand up around her jaw, holding her close and licking into her mouth just a little, earning him a soft whimper he wanted to hear over and over again, and just kissed her, and kissed her and kissed her, until he heard someone nearby clapping and cheering, and they broke apart with a giggle. She smiled at him, and he stepped back, to let her finish her work out, because they had all the time in the world for this.

His eyes locked on the bright scrunchie holding up her high ponytail, and smiled, the taste of her still on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written Becho before, and i've also never written a fic this LONG before, so i hope you like it!! Thanks Elyse for being my cheerleader on this one! <3


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